This thread is Hall of Fame, no question.
That 'Bowling Pin' story really reminds me that, and especially living in a foreign country, just how many people from the West I encounter every day who are poorly-socialized - to the point that they're practically disabled; whether it was the girl who used to live in my building who would never stop bitching and whining about China, even as I was telling her 'Look, I have to go!' and checking my phone every few seconds, or someone I used to work with who would corner people when talking to them.
I don't know what to blame, but I do know this; These people are almost 100% of the time deeply insecure and highly value what people think of them, and in over two years in China, the three stupidest and most unpleasant people I've met (and four of the top five) have been American - not British, not Canadian, not Australian - American. Why? I know the US has a bigger population than all of those three places combined, but this can't be an accident...
That 'Bowling Pin' story really reminds me that, and especially living in a foreign country, just how many people from the West I encounter every day who are poorly-socialized - to the point that they're practically disabled; whether it was the girl who used to live in my building who would never stop bitching and whining about China, even as I was telling her 'Look, I have to go!' and checking my phone every few seconds, or someone I used to work with who would corner people when talking to them.
I don't know what to blame, but I do know this; These people are almost 100% of the time deeply insecure and highly value what people think of them, and in over two years in China, the three stupidest and most unpleasant people I've met (and four of the top five) have been American - not British, not Canadian, not Australian - American. Why? I know the US has a bigger population than all of those three places combined, but this can't be an accident...